


Tales from Elpis

by Half_PintGladiator



Category: Borderlands
Genre: F/F, Fluff without Plot, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 05:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 16,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4335794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Half_PintGladiator/pseuds/Half_PintGladiator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Pre-Sequel Drabbles, largely of the Janey Springs/Athena variety. Originally from my Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Golden Key Fairy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started as a joke with one of my friends. He calls me Athena and I give him Golden Keys. It's pretty dumb.

When all hope seemed lost, the Vault Hunters hung their heads in despair, but all was not lost. An ephemeral light pierced the clouds and a woman descended from them holding six golden keys. 

“These are my bounty, and I shall deliver them unto you, oh worthy Seekers of the Vault. May you find what you seek.”

Timothy leaned forward, across the meager table that the Up and Over provided, eyes wide as Claptrap told the story of the Golden Key Fairy for the millionth time. Athena groaned and leaned back in her seat, covering her face with her hand while Nisha snickered. Wilhelm desperately tried to ignore them, but even he was smirking. Aurelia had long since wandered off, sick of the dreck. 

“Really, Claptrap? It wasn’t that glamorous.”

“It’s my story, I’ll tell it the way I want to.”

Nisha elbowed the gladiator in the ribs with a grin. “Lighten up, Golden Key Fairy.”

“I hate all of you.” The ex-Lancer mumbled as she rose from the booth. 

Claptrap continued his tale, with the Doppelganger enthralled while his other two companions silently suffered through the story. It certainly wasn’t the most glamorous or awe-inspiring moments in their travels.  
It had been an absolute massacre. Scav guts and limbs littered the periphery, and yet more of them were charging. Pity’s Fall had proven to be one hell of a challenge to navigate, yet bore some sweet ass loot. The group had separated for a while, rejoining only as they prepared to face the Bosun. However, their number was down by one.

“Uh, where’s Athena?” Timothy scanned the area, nervously clutching his Hyperion shotgun.

No one answered; all were too busy trying to murder the scavs attacking them. There were far too many for the group to handle and a large percentage of the threats were badasses. Eventually Nisha backed up to where the doppelganger stood, trying to hold his ground.

“You got any pistol slugs? I’m out.”

He shook his head, knuckles growing white as he squeezed the trigger only to find it devoid of rounds. 

“Well, shit.” The lawbringer muttered, pulling out her whip; she had sold most of her arsenal to make room for loot just a short while before they stepped into this particular area.

Wilhelm fell a few minutes later, no doubt being digistructed half way across the god-damn ship. Claptrap joined them a moment later, looking as embarrassed as a robot could. Aurelia was nowhere to be seen.

“Got any plans, kid?”

The Jack look alike shook his head, preparing to swing his shotgun like a club as scavs drew nearer. And then they heard it. A fierce battle cry and a wicked laugh as blood spattered across their faces. The three cornered Vault Hunters could only stare as Athena cleaved her way through the scavs cornering them, feeling a certain amount of embarrassment at needing a bailout. When she finally cleared the path, a stray light seemed to shine down on her. It gave her an aura of… well, gore. The gladiator swore under her breath as she dug through the pouch on her vest to hold out six golden keys. 

“Found these buried in the back of a hold. Thought we could use them.”

“Nice going, Golden Key Fairy.”

The assassin rolled her eyes and started to walk off, trying her hardest not to turn around and murder Nisha. Timothy and Claptrap exchanged glances and Athena could have sworn the robot was grinning. She heard an awed whisper of ‘the golden key fairy’ as she moved on. She was definitely going to kill Nisha one day.


	2. Athena's Motivation Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of my first cracks at something vaguely Jathena. Not my strongest writing...

Athena was loathe to admit that at some point on her hellish journey through Elpis and Helios, she had become sentimental. There was a chink in her otherwise impervious Atlas-issued armor surrounding her heart. And it all started with a motivational poster.

*****  
At first, she rolled her eyes at the idea, but Springs’ enthusiasm was absolutely contagious. Even Aurelia cracked a brief grin as she shot down targets. It was… fun. That wasn’t a word usually found in the ex-Crimson Lancer’s vocabulary. Hell, she was even impressed with the resulting poster; she was practically giddy (not that she would admit it) when she saw how… “cool” she looked.

****  
While the others looted Deadlift’s stash, she doubled back and snagged herself one of the prints and stashed it in her backpack, returning before any of the motley crew realizing she had disappeared. On rare occasions, when she was alone or the rest of the vault hunters were sleeping, she’d sneak a glimpse at the poster and smirk to herself. She kept her little motivational booster a secret.

***  
Eventually, another poster joined her collection. Before the group returned to Helios to kick Zarpedon’s ass, they dropped in at Moxxi’s to raid her stash and snag some of those godawful-tasting Moxxtails. Athena had been at the back of the group, yet somehow ended up receiving the Vibra-Pulse (much to her chagrin). She stashed the gun at the very bottom of her backpack and made her way to the bar’s entrance while the others imbibed. Well, all but Fragtrap, who was far too busy arguing with B4r-B0t over programming. Or at least she thought it was programming. 

The dark haired assassin leaned against a wall, avoiding as much contact with it as humanly possible until she heard the crackle of paper beneath her pauldron. Athena pushed away from the wall and turned, finding herself eye-to-eye with an image of Janey Springs. It was an ad for her Eporium of Stuff, but in big, white letters next to the Junker’s picture were the words “Springs think’s you’re great!”. Without a second thought or a glance at her surroundings, she eased the poster off the grimy wall. She was about to stash it in her backpack when a familiar drawl caught her attention.

“Stealing a pic of your girlfriend, Athena? I reckon she’d be happy to give ya one if you asked.”

Somehow Nisha’s tone leered at her. It made the ex-Lancer uncomfortable as all hell.

“You never know if you might become… uh… motivationally challenged.” She never caught her slip-up.

“Right, you keep telling yourself that. I won’t tell the others. Seein’ you squirm is enough for me.”

With a grin, Nisha punched her companion’s arm and ambled off to the quick-change station. The gladiator felt her cheeks flaming with utter humiliation. She stashed the poster with the other and made her way to the counter. To hell with it; she needed a Moxxtail. A strong one. 

**  
During the majority of their time on Helios, Athena never glanced at her contraband. She was far too busy mauling members of the Dahl Lost Legion and fending off wild stalkers to find a moment of peace. And then… Jack killed the scientists. She hadn’t been that enraged, that upset since… She would not allow herself to think of Jess on the job– that was in the past.

She had been staring at the stolen poster of the junker, moping as she looked over Hyperion Hub of Heroism as the others took on some side jobs for Nakayama when a familiar voice came over her echo. Someone cared. Someone was waiting for her at the end of the job; a junker with a heart of the purest gold.

*  
Years later, Janey found the posters. She immediately proceeded to laugh until she cried. Athena’s cheeks flamed a brilliant shade of red and her eyebrows knitted together, her eyes desperately seeking a place to hide her shame. But then Janey hugged her, wiping mirthful tears away.

“Ya big softie. Knew ya had a heart in there under all that armor.”

The scrapper leaned in, pressing her lips to the shorter woman’s cheek. Only then would Athena allow herself to smile. She uttered the words ‘I love you’ under her breath and buried her face in the blonde’s scarred neck. She decided she could live with Janey’s gentle teasing. She got revenge by dropping a full skag corpse on the junker’s work table.


	3. Tin Can (Take 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It started off as a few sentences. Then I got asked for more. I am going to do a second version (possibly nsfw) at a later date to make up for where I missed the boat, just because I realized I could have done so much better...

Janey tried to press herself close to Athena, only to back away when the other woman’s armor dug into her chest. It didn’t take long for a devious grin to form on the junker’s face as her deft fingers buried themselves under the lip of Athena’s breastplate.

“Let’s take a look under that hood, eh?”

The vault hunter raised an eyebrow, the corners of her lips fighting to keep from turning up. The expression on the normally stoic woman’s face made the Elpis native grin. A lone snort of amusement escaped the gladiator despite her best effort. 

“Remind me to never wear my armor around you, Springs.”

“Eh, eh, eh, it’s Janey to you, ‘Thena. Now take off this bloody tin can.”

The smile had fully formed on Athena’s lips by that point and she happily complied.

Her hooded scarf was the first thing to go, it was temporarily hung on her belt. With practiced ease, the gladiator reached over and unfastened the heavy buckle that held her pauldron in place. Her class mod easily slipped off of her shoulder. Both were set gently on the floor of Janey’s old hideout in Serenity’s Waste. They had decided that the old compound would make a much better place for “hanging out”. Less talk and fewer power outages (ironically enough). The next item to go was her vest, which she folded neatly and set on top of her shoulder pieces along with her scarf so it didn’t get covered in lunar dust (despite the fact that it already was). 

The junker found herself silently studying each of her new girlfriend’s movements in hopes that she would figure out how her armor worked; she had never expected Athena to actually part with it. She also wondered how long it took the other woman to get ready in the mornings (she could have sworn Athena slept in her gear). It had only been a few months and the Vault Hunter still had a tendency to back away at most signs of affection, but she was quickly warming to the black marketeer. 

When Janey looked up again, the heavy breastplate was on the floor, piled neatly with the rest of the blue haired woman’s gear. A small smile started to form at the corner of the gladiator’s lips, her gaze was nowhere near her girlfriend.

“I, uh, well.. There you go.”

“You do realize I was kidding, right?”


	4. Accent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Athena finds that her girlfriend's accent makes her laugh at the weirdest times. Slightly nsfw.

“Curl your fingers a little more, ‘Thena, that would be absolutely bonza.”

Athena snorted. The snort became a chuckle and then eventually devolved into full blown laughter that kept her from what she had been trying to do. Her other hand lay fairly useless on the mattress as she laughed.

“Really, ‘Thena? Is my accent that funny? Would ya prefer if I said ‘y’all’?”

That only made Athena’s fit worse. The ex-vault hunter buried her face in Janey’s neck in an attempt to stifle her giggles. The junker found herself laughing at the guilty look on her girlfriend’s face. When she finally caught her breath, she took the dark haired woman’s face in her hands and forced her to make eye contact.

“Until you can learn how to keep yourself from gigglin’ every time we do it, I’m going to be the one on top.”

The shorter woman opened her mouth to protest only to find her words stolen from her by a rough kiss. She gave up, figuring she could use this time as a… learning experience.


	5. Sexy Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one may possibly be extended... if I ever find the motivation.

Athena's calloused thumb brushed against her girlfriend's scarred side. Between the points where the skin puckered, the flesh was smooth, almost inhumanly so. The differing textures of her skin were a point of interest for the ex-vault hunter. The first time the gladiator felt the old wounds, she withdrew out of fear that she'd hurt the scrapper; It only made Janey laugh and bring her palm back to the burns covering her left side. Now, Athena's fingers traced the outline, brushing over her partner's bare stomach.

The vault hunter's lips found the scarred half of Janey's neck and ghosted against the flesh. The junker buried her hand in dark blue locks, pushing her girlfriend's head closer to her. The ex-assassin allowed her fingers drift, following the canyons and valleys of flesh made by kraggon fire as Janey nipped at her shoulder.

"So, what do you think, 'Thena? Are they sexy?"

"Very."


	6. For Steph

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the token sad story. Because reasons. Blame one of my friends for this one.

There weren’t many things that could get the effervescent Janey down, but in this particular case, it seemed like almost everything in life was converging against her. She and Athena were set to leave for Pandora in a little over a week, but the gladiator had been incommunicado for over a week. And not to mention, it was drawing very close to that day that she had tried to forget…

Somewhere deep in the back of her mind, she could still hear the screams and the roars of Flamey and its spawn. There had been nights where she had woken up in a panic, sweat streaming down her back and her eyes watering. The nightmares were recurring more and more as the year mark approached. The absence of Athena made the dreams harder for her to bear.

That day wasn’t much different from the prior seven. She woke in the middle of the night, all but screaming. The former vault hunter wasn’t at her side. Janey buried her face in her hands, trying to catch her breath once more. The tears burned, especially when they brushed the scarred side of her face. A few shaky breaths later, she forced herself out of the bed, bare feet dragging over threadbare carpets. She collapsed heavily on a Dahl-issued kitchen chair, slapping the play button on the Echo sitting on the table.

“Janey, I’ve gone to Serenity’s Waste. I aim to return in a week so we can finish preparations. Athena, out.”

Athena sure had a talent for words. She snorted at the message, feeling a touch of anger that she had to deal with the memories on her own. Hadn’t she helped the gladiator through her nightmares? The blonde ran a hand through her hair, wondering if perhaps it was something she had done. Either way, she knew she had to venture out to Serenity’s Waste. The ex-assassin had been gone long enough.   
With a groan, she rose out of the chair and gathered a Dahl MRE and her kettle. She had a few things she had to take care of before she went off in search of her wayward girlfriend. 

“Bloody hell. What have I gotten myself into?” 

——-  
It had taken her a good twenty minutes to decide how she wanted to travel to her old homestead. There were advantages to each– the fast travel station would mean a nearly instant trip, while if she went the long way she would have more time to think. In the end, the fast travel won. Her old compound had seen better days. As usual, the ammo crates were empty and some bloody scav had run off with her printer. She idly wondered if it was the same lunatic that had stolen her plasma cutter and welding mask the week before. 

She nearly tripped over a small pile of gear laying out near her old table. Dahl rations, a few hypos from the vending machine she had jerry rigged after… the incident. There were also a few pieces of red armor laying around and a pair of burned gloves. Janey lifted an eyebrow and stooped down to check the supplies. An Echo was stashed underneath the discarded pauldron. She pressed play, expecting the worst when she heard her voice emerging from the device. 

“ This one is called, “Baby Kraggon Goes On An Adventure”. Baby Kraggon crawled out of the crack with his mum, Flamey. They saw strange two-legged creatures and thought, “They must be food!” So Baby Kraggon and his mum raided the camp. Flamey tore a two-legger up pretty bad, and Baby Kraggon killed another one. Then Baby Kraggon ran away like a little bitch, stupid piece of shit.”

The junker nearly laughed at her own Echo. Nearly. Well, Flamey and son were dead, so… A hunch told her to check out her old camp. She swallowed heavily at the thought, her hand reaching for the pistol she kept in her hip pouch. She hated that gun. She hated the memories attached to the hunk of metal. A few deep breaths later, she gathered her courage as best as she could and started for the old camp.   
When she drew near, her muscles started tensing, her breathing quickened, her heartbeat deafening in her Oz bubble. Janey’s finger twitched, brushing the trigger of the gun, but not putting enough pressure to fire the weapon. There were no kraggons in sight and the Air Dome Generator in front of the encampment was active. She still clutched the gun as she approached, not sure if it was a scav or Athena that was inside. 

She shut her eyes and stepped in the bubble, waiting for the sound of gunshots. Instead she heard the rush of heated gas and soft humming from a few feet away. Okay, well, that wasn’t what she was expecting. She kept her steps short, taking care not to make too much noise should the person turn around and start shooting at her. At least until her boot caught a chunk of meteorite and she fell forward, cursing as she went. So much for stealth. The stranger in question rose, dropping the plasma cutter and held up an assault rifle, welding mask over their face. Janey scrambled to her feet, lifting her pistol until she heard a laugh from under the metal face guard. To her ire, she found that the mask in question bore her name and that she recognized the figure’s clothing.

“Athena! What the devil are you doing out here?”

The gladiator lifted the mask, offering a half-assed smile.

“Well, I wasn’t going to call you until tomorrow, but, I guess since you’re here now, I can show you.”

“You’ve been gone for more than a ruddy week and that’s all you have to say to me?”

“I, uh…”

“Is that my plasma cutter?”

“Yes. And… could you put down the gun? I’m… not exactly a big fan of people aiming guns at me.”

Janey’s gaze dropped the pistol she had raised and cursed. Her hands were shaking as she slipped it back into her usual tool pouch. Athena’s attention had turned back on the thing she had been working on, leaving the blonde to have a moment to collect herself. The Elpis native fought to keep her eyes from straying to the entrance of the camp. She could picture the blood stains covering the walls. The screams in the back of her mind came back and hit her like the charging Flamey. She didn’t hear herself cry out. One minute she had been standing in front of the camp, the next she was on her knees with Athena’s arms around her. 

She buried her face into the gladiator’s scarf, feeling hot tears run down her face.

“It’s alright, Janey, that’s in the past. I’m sorry that you came out here… “ The blue haired woman winced at her own words, knowing that she probably wasn’t being much of a help at that moment. 

Some time later, the junker found her voice again. 

“What exactly were you doing here?”

“Well, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what will be left behind when we left Elpis, when I realized that… there wasn’t a marker for those we lost.”

“What?”

“Let me show you.”

Athena rose to her feet, offering a gloved hand to her girlfriend. Janey noticed that it was a pair of her work gloves instead of the usual grey gloves. She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand before she took the other woman’s hand. Neither spoke as they walked all of a few feet to the rock face on the side of the camp. A niche had been carved into the wall and inside stood a pair of shiny stones– no doubt chiseled from fallen meteorites. Janey’s mouth hung open as she was lead right up to the opening. Chunks of rock littered the site and she nearly tripped again, but the gladiator caught her in time to save her from another fall.

“I’ve been working on this for the last few days… I was just finishing up when you arrived. Erm, sorry for the mess. I was going to clean up and call you.”

The scrapper was silent as she surveyed the small shrine. 

“It took me a few days just to figure out how to use this damn thing. Almost makes me miss my plasma swords. I never thought I’d be making another one of these…”

The word ‘another’ weighed heavily on Janey’s mind as she took the last few steps up to the small markers. One held several names, ones that Janey didn’t recognize.

“Those are the names of the scientists Jack killed. I… I felt they should have been honored. It’s partially my fault they’re dead. And I couldn’t place it in Helios. I thought about taking it out to Vorago Solitude. I haven’t decided if it was worth the risk, yet.”

At last, the blonde willed herself to study the second stone. It simply read ‘For Steph’. There was a pile of discarded hunks of rock with different epithets carved into them.

“I had a hard time deciding what to put down. Nothing seemed right. Until I remembered the Echo in your safe.”

Athena offered a weak smile to her girlfriend. Janey swallowed heavily, feeling her lips begin to tremble and the tears started pricking her eyes once more.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry.”

The ex-vault hunter winced, gaze drifting to the camp and back to her girlfriend, panic beginning to show in her features. Especially as Janey wiped her eyes again.

“That’s why you’ve been gone all this time? To do something like this? Even for someone you didn’t even know?”

“It… felt like it was the right thing to do.” Athena was staring at the ground, shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

“I think Steph would have appreciated it, Athena. It’s kind of silly for me to be sad… She would have wanted me to move on, be happy. I nearly forgot that. Never thought I’d recover after that… Then a few months later you and the other vault hunters crash landed in my own backyard. Changed everything.”

She paused for a moment to look over at the ex-assassin at her side. A genuine smile crossed her face just briefly. 

“You see, Athena, I wasn’t always this happy chipper lady. Steph taught me that. She was always smilin’ and sayin’ to think positive. It was hard not to think like her. I thought I almost forgot about her until now… But, I’m glad I knew her. And… just as glad that I met you.”

Athena had been holding her breath. That was clear the instant she exhaled. The junker started laughing at the look of relief on her girlfriend’s face.

“You sounded so… down last week. I… well, I don’t like hearing you sad either, Janey.”

There was a moment of silence between them as Janey ran her fingers over the etched stone bearing Steph’s name. 

“Since when did you start calling me by my first name?”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think while I worked on this project… I’m sorry I didn’t come home. I wanted to get this done before more kraggons showed up. Or more asshole scavs. They… uh, stole your printer. Sorry.”

The Elpis native passed her hand through her hair, risking another weak smile. 

“I’m not angry, by the way. You could have told me a little more than ‘going to Serenity’s Waste. Be back soon.’ And what was with tryin’ to hide it in a male enhancement ad?”

“Old habits die hard. Let me finish clearing this up and we can go back to Concordia.”

The gladiator started gathering hunks of stone in her arms and stepped away from the junker, deciding it was best to give her space. When she had come back from dumping her armful of moon rock, she found that Janey was gone. She took one more load before hazarding an approach on the old camp. The blonde was standing in the center of the old building, her eyes shut, her breathing slow. Athena slid off her borrowed glove and let her hand rest on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Never better, Athena.”

Tears had begun flowing again, but this time, she was able to smile through them. The blue haired woman gently pressed the taller woman’s face to her unarmored shoulder, holding her close.

“A certain somebody once told me that it was alright to cry. To let go of the past and let tears flow…”

Janey nodded against her shoulder, tightening her grip on her girlfriend for a moment. After a few minutes and several deep breaths, she pulled away. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked around at the old camp. Athena nodded and without a word, she stepped out of the building, to gather the tools she borrowed. 

The blonde stepped up to the blood spattered wall and rested her hand on the old stains. She shut her eyes and exhaled gently.

“Goodbye, Steph. I hope they’re taking care of ya up there. I know you said no tears, and I’m sorry. I shoulda said goodbye sooner, but I was afraid. Of the kraggons, of the memories. Maybe one day we’ll meet again, huh?”

She withdrew her hand from the spatter and drew in another breath. It was time to let go. She slapped her hand against the button that would bring down the camp’s door. It rattled shut behind her. A kraggon wandered by on the outside of the oxygen bubble, but to her surprise it didn’t attack. It had a strange little walk and a pale green skin. A peaceful kraggon in that part of Serenity’s Waste? She watched as it passed; she still hated the bloody things, but it was nice to see one that didn’t want her dead. 

Janey made her way to her current girlfriend and took her hand in hers. Athena gently squeezed her hand and started toward the compound housing the fast travel station. Their new life in Pandora was waiting.


	7. Janey Sings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not apologizing for the title.

“Life’s a piece of shit, when you look at it. Life’s a laugh and death’s a joke, it’s true. You’ll see it’s all a show, keep ‘em laughin’ as you go. Just remember the last laugh is on you. Annndddd… Always look on the bright side of life.”

Janey sang as she worked, her voice echoing up through the vending machine’s open front. She paused to brush her bangs out of her face, effectively smudging grease all over her brow, not that she noticed as she whistled the next part of the song. The Echonet had too many good programs… That song had been stuck in her head for a week. She heard footsteps approach where she was mending the Ammo Dump machine after a Concordian tried to stuff an Echo recorder in the bill slot. (Really, were they all bloody idiots in this city?) She paid no mind to the person, figuring it was just a passerby. Or that they would leave once she started singing again.

Athena glanced down at the kneeling junker, an eyebrow lifting as Janey continued her song. Well, she seemed happy. The gladiator tried to shift her strides so they wouldn’t be loud enough to disrupt the blonde’s work. At least until she stumbled over a stray wrench. It was one of the obscenely massive wrenches favored by post-apocalyptic survivors. It made a solid clang against the steel reinforcement of her boot. Her face smacked into the grinder and she cursed.

The blonde leapt to her feet, hitting her head as she rose only to catch sight of the vault hunter rubbing her nose. Athena spotted her and jammed moonstones into the grinder as well as a few guns, not paying any mind to what she was doing. Janey exhaled loudly, passing her hand over the side of her head. The other woman was desperately trying to ignore her, her cheeks flaming red. As soon as the gun popped out of the machine, the ex-Lance assassin snatched it up and took off.

“Well shit, she must’ve heard me singin’. Didn’t think I sounded that bad. How did my spanner get all the way over there?” Janey spoke aloud, not caring who heard her. She was pretty sure she had gone a little crazy out in Serenity’s Waste.

She shrugged and returned to her work, this time she decided it was best not to sing.

Athena ducked into an alleyway, pressing her back against a wall. She caught her breath only for peals of laughter to escape her. She stood there for a good while until her ribs ached.

“I should have known she’d be a singer… That was… Kind of cute.” She caught the words coming out her mouth and felt her face heat up. That was a new line of thought for her. One she would never dare mention around the other Vault Hunters.

_Hold it together, Athena. Just go to Moxxi’s. Head to Helios. The job’s almost done. And don’t bring up Springs if you can help it._

And then she just had to go and snag the ad for Springs’ Eporium O’ Stuff off of Moxxi’s wall. Totally not weird.


	8. Welcome to Pandora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A silly little drabble I started at work.

Athena was startled awake by gunfire. Rolling out of the bed, she instinctively reached out to call aspis, only to find that she was not in immediate danger. Janey stood back from the window, hands on her hips as she clucked in disgust.

“Crikey, can’t they go one day without shootin’ each other? For the love of… it’s three in the morning.” She muttered mostly to herself; Janey wasn’t exactly known for being a quiet woman.

The gladiator relaxed and released a pent up breath when she noticed her girlfriend’s state of dress- or lack there of. No wonder the room felt a little cold.

“Welcome to Pandora, Janey.”

The junker jumped back, clutching wildly at her chest.

“You nearly scared me out of my skin, ‘Thena!”

It took her a moment to regain her composure; they would have to have a talk about Athena’s stealthiness. 

“Sorry… Was it another mugging?”

The ex-Lancer made her way across the room to stand behind the blonde. Craning her neck, she peer out of the miniscule opening in the blinds and snorted. All the while trying to ignore the warm skin pressed against hers. Janey tilted her head back and felt a warm arm wrap around the top of her scarred hip. Athena’s other arm reached in front of her and closed the blinds. 

“We’ll just have to find some sound proofing. I’m beginning to miss how quiet Elpis was…”

“Might have to wait, ‘Thena. We’ve got to keep food on the table.”

Athena buried her face in her girlfriend’s neck, sighing softly.

“There are bound to be bandits who need shooting.”

“Just not bounties.”

“Not even one that could pay the rent for the next year?”

The Elpis native hesitated, her fingers idly running across her partner’s forearms. 

“Maybe, but only if you aren’t coming home in a box. That’s the one thing I can’t fix.”

The gladiator smiled to herself, her nose brushing against soft skin; the brief adrenaline rush at the sound of gunshots was wearing off.

“I guess it’s a good thing there aren’t any right now. At least, any I could do without risking what we have here.”

“You betta not risk it.”

“I’m too tired to think about going out and shooting those assholes.”

With that, Athena leaned heavily to the left, knowing that Janey still wasn’t completely used to gravity. The blonde all but squawked as they fell onto the mattress. The ex-assassin grinned to herself, making sure her grip on her girlfriend was tight as she settled in on the bed. 

“Good night.”

“Wait, what? ‘Thena! Come on! Why are you.. so… heavy?” 

She desperately tugged at her partner’s arms, finding that it was like trying to pry steel bars from concrete. Eventually she quit, dramatically dropping her arms to the mattress. With a final smirk, Athena let go, rolling over to her “spot” on the bed. Janey blinked a few times, trying to figure out what had just happened. Instead of questioning the rare sign of affection from her girlfriend, she snuggled up close to Athena; the mugging outside of their apartment was long forgotten. 

“I love you, ya big softie.”

“Love you too…” The gladiator mumbled softly, sleep overtaking her once again.


	9. Piercing the armor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I came up with this after watching Wall-E...

Janey glanced over at her companion and noticed the shiny trails left by tears on the gladiator’s cheeks. A few different expressions crossed her face as she glanced back at the echo movie and then back to Athena.

“Oh shit, sorry, ‘Thena, shoulda warned you this was a sad echo. Always gets me too.”

Athena brushed at her cheek, withdrawing her hand to glance at the moisture, a look of wide-eyed surprise crossing her face. 

“I… didn’t realize I could still do that… I thought Atlas drained me of tears.”

The blonde reached over and ran a thumb under her roommate’s eye, a soft smile curving her lips.

“Looks like you’re still human, ‘Thena. And no, it won’t ruin your reputation of being Elpis’ most badass resident.”

She paused for a moment, purposely meeting the gladiator’s eyes.

“And, Athena,” her tone grew more serious, expression softening. “There is nothin’ wrong with cryin’. Doesn’t make ya weak. Of course, if it were up to me, I’d make sure you never cried again…”

She offered a lopsided smile and hesitated before she spoke again.

“Would you mind shuttin’ your eyes for a moment, ‘Thena?”

The ex-assassin lifted an eyebrow, but complied despite her better judgment. She felt a warm breath on her face and then soft, but chapped lips pressing to her own. Her eyes sprung open and she nearly jerked away from the junker, but something compelled her to stay where she was. Janey pulled away first, brushing a stray bang from her face, eyes avoiding Athena’s.

“Sorry… I probably over-stepped my boundaries there… Got a little… excited.”

She started to move across the couch, making more room between them when the ex-Lancer reached out.

“Springs… Janey, wait.”

Athena stunned herself by reaching for the junker, but pushed past the initial shock. In the weeks she had been living with Janey the internal rift between her Atlas persona and her true self had deepened. This Athena knew what she wanted– or at least had an idea. Her palms grazed the blonde’s cheeks and she gently pulled the other woman in close until she could return the kiss. She could taste the salt from her tears on Janey’s lips; she couldn’t fathom why it made her smile. The kiss broke off when they both remembered that they needed to breathe. 

“I, uh, well… Damn, Athena. I didn’t think you were into women.”

“It… took me a while to realize what I wanted. I uh, never thought I’d find… her. So close to me.”

Athena’s smile was genuine; it touched her eyes— and melted Janey’s heart. The gladiator refused to spoil the moment by recounting how many times she anxiously paced the black marketeer’s old haunt, pulling at her hair and arguing with herself.

“You’re goin’ to make me blush, ‘Thena.”

The ex-assassin hesitated as she thought of a response, her eyebrows knitting together momentarily. The smile never left her face.

“You might want to get used to that, then.”

“A badass assassin with a good heart. And who cries over children’s movies. I think I’m already used to it.”

Janey reached over and squeezed Athena’s hand. She silently promised to the gladiator that she would take things one step at a time.


	10. Gravity and Pranks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This... is a dumb one. Sorry.

Janey leaned over the stainless steel sink of their home in Hollow Point, a drake fruit in one hand and an Atlas turret repair manual in the other. Deep blue juice ran down her forearm, making her lean forward a bit more in hopes of keeping the floor free of blue stains.

“What? That’s just shonky… No wonder they keep breakin’ all the time. That bloody servo is a cactus…”

She took a bite of the fruit, shaking her head. She was sure that if Athena hadn’t wiped out Atlas with the help of the original Vault Hunters that the company would have taken itself out due to sheer stupidity. She shifted her feet, leaning a little more forward; Athena should have warned her of how messy the fruit was. The blonde felt the tug of gravity at her hips, cursing softly as she tried to decide which hand to free. Drop the fruit the gladiator had worked so hard to get for them, or toss the manual and hope it didn’t land in a small puddle of tea she had forgotten to wipe up. Her pants started to slide down further, weighed down by her tool belt. She ended up flinging the manual at the kitchen table, reaching out to snag her belt when she heard a snort. The snort became a laugh as all too familiar booted footsteps entered the kitchen.

“Either we need to get you tighter fitting pants, or a lighter tool belt.”

Janey glanced down at her completely blue hand and sighed. Her breakfast had been reduced to a pulp in her rush to snag her belt.She was really beginning to hate gravity.

“Are ya goin’ to stand there and admire my knickers or help me? I’d rather not have drake fruit juice all over me.”

“It’d be a… fragrant alternative to grease.”

The blonde rolled her eyes as she awkwardly shifted her feet, more of the blue juice running down her elbow. Athena took her time crossing the kitchen, smirking to herself the entire way; usually it was the junker who got the last laugh. The gladiator pressed her girlfriend close with a grin, fingers burying under her belt. She gently pried the tiny piece of metal she had stuffed into the belt’s locking mechanism out, trying her hardest not to laugh. 

“The things you do for my attention first thing in the morning…” It took every effort of will she could summon to keep herself from laughing as she spoke. 

Athena easily tugged the weighted tool belt up the blonde’s hips and tightened the buckle. Janey tapped her fingers on the counter, getting a feeling that there was something more going on than gravity.

“By the sounds of it, you’ve got a job today.”

“Med supply run for Zed. Probably organs again. Normally he’d send Vault Hunters, but apparently Lilith is suspicious of his… motives.”

The ex-assassin glanced over her girlfriend’s shoulder at the pulpy mess in the junker’s hand.

“Is that fruit still edible?”

Janey extended her arm and as she moved she could feel that the juice had started to dry. That… was not a pleasant feeling. She expected Athena to take one look at the mess and pass, and found herself surprised when she felt the warmth of her girlfriend’s mouth on her palm.

“Athena!”

At least the ex-Lancer was polite enough not to speak with her mouth full.

“It’s too good to waste.”

“You are going to get me all toey and leave?”

The gladiator stifled a chuckle at her girlfriend’s choice of words, knowing all too well that she would receive a glare if she was caught laughing. Again.

“That was the plan.”

“You betta come right home after that job, ‘Thena.”

“I fully intend to.”


	11. One Dynamite Gal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was inspired by xiphoa on Tumblr.

Athena strode into the Emporium O’ Stuff, smirking to herself. Janey was busy setting up her welding supplies, the mask precariously balanced on the top of her head. The blonde hummed cheerfully as she adjusted the setting on her butane torch, completely oblivious to the world, at least until she heard familiar footfalls.

“Oh, hey, ‘Thena. Got a job today?”

“Mhm. I thought I’d drop by before I headed out.”

“That was sweet of ya, ‘Thena. I’m glad you stopped by.”

The gladiator shuffled her feet, pausing to find her words, eyes darting around the shop.

“Oh, and Janey… You’re one dynamite gal.”

She leaned in and gave the taller woman a peck on the cheek before turning on the ball of her foot, ducking out of the shop before the other woman could register the gesture. Janey reached up, her fingers brushing the spot where the gladiator kissed her, smudging a bit of grease on the spot.

“Did I miss somethin’?”

Realization hit her like a moonshot. She flung aside her welding mask, tripping over power cords as she scrambled to catch up to Athena. The ex-Lancer was leaning against the shop’s front, right next to the image of the junker, arms folded over her chest. A smirk lifted one corner of her lips when she spotted her girlfriend.

“One dynamite gal, eh?”

“It was the best I could think of.”

“I like it, ‘Thena. But you are not goin’ on a job without this.”

She cupped Athena’s face in her palms, smudging grease over her girlfriend’s high cheekbones as she drew the other woman in close. She pressed her lips against the gladiator’s and managed to slip in a little tongue before Athena broke contact, her cheeks flushing.

“I think all of Concordia saw that.”

“No worries. Moxxi’s done worse. And, Athena, you’re real sexy when you smile.”

“Don’t make me regret taking this job, Janey.”

“Not-uh, you’re goin’ to work, ‘Thena. I will happily wait for later.”

A lopsided little smile formed on Athena’s lips. The blonde grinned at her and turned back to her shop. There was definitely a bit of a spring to her step. It took the ex-assassin a good while to wipe the smile off of her face. No one wanted to see a smiling merc (excluding Janey, of course).


	12. Drinks With a Vault Hunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to do my own take on Janey and Athena getting drinks after the Pre-Sequel.

Janey wasn’t sure what she was expecting from that moment. Never in her life did she think that Athena would actually take her up on her offer of a drink. She nervously surveyed the Up and Over, looking out for deep red armor and a grey hood. As usual, the bass was pumping and there were a number of Concordians boozing it up. She sighed. She didn’t think Athena would stand her up, but the fear was still there. She began to fidget on her bar stool, her back to the bar proper. And then, at last she spotted the woman she was waiting for.

Athena’s hood was down and lines of weariness were etched on her face. Her steps were slow and measured as she stepped into the cacophonous din that was the bar. Janey all but jumped off of her stool, banging her knee in the process as well as knocking over the seat. She didn’t feel the impending bruise considering that she was much too busy staring at the ex-Lance assassin. Realizing that standing around with her mouth open wouldn’t do much good, she started for the Vault Hunter, a bright grin forming on her face. 

“’Thena! I was afraid you wouldn’t show!”

Athena’s gaze snapped up to the taller woman and she hazarded the slightest of smiles.

“Sorry, I was struggling to remove the ichor from my armor. I… uh, thought it’d be bad if I showed up fresh from the battle.”

“We’d probably have a betta chance at gettin’ a booth if ya did. No worries, though. One just came free. You should probably sit before you fall over.”

Once again Janey spotted the ghost of a smile on Athena’s face; it only made her own smile bigger. She rested a hand on the shorter woman’s shoulder and half-guided, half-pushed her to a booth. The assassin shot her a questioning look until she spied the seat they were heading for. It was nestled in a corner, near the entrance; a spot where the music wasn’t completely deafening (no mean feat for the Up and Over). 

“So, what’ll you have? I’ll go get it– I don’t want the Hero of Elpis doin’ something mundane on a day like this.”

“Rakk ale.” She started to reach for her wallet when a hand very gently seized her wrist.

“Eh, eh, eh. My treat, I promised. Hell, I’ll buy you dinner. Least I can do after all the help you’ve given me. I’ll be right back.”

The blonde practically sprinted to the bar, trying to avoid Athena’s protests and possibly a flung wallet. She had seen how Aspis flew and was sure the money holder could do a good measure of damage on its own. The itinerant bartender barely had time to give her the ale before she was bolting back to the booth, this time in a panic that the gladiator would run off. The blue haired woman was where she left her, idly eyeing the numerous posters on the wall.

The scrapper followed her gaze to a spot devoid of one such poster— there had been one of her ads in that spot not long before. Her eyes flicked back to the merc’s face and caught a hint of guilt crossing the other woman’s visage which would have been barely perceptible to anyone else.

“That was fast.”

“The new bartender is less chatty than Moxxi. Better than B4R-B0T, though. That ruddy machine’s a menace. Here’s your ale and food will be up soon.” 

Janey caught herself speaking rapidly and had to pause to catch her breath as soon as she finished her sentence. She set the bottles down a little heavily to distract Athena from her rambling. The junker slipped into the seat across from the vault hunter, taking a moment to study her companion’s face. The low light of Moxxi’s former dive made the other woman look even more exhausted- if that was even possible. The ex-assassin propped her chin in her hand, the knuckle of her index finger brushing against her lips; she looked like she would fall asleep on the spot.

“So, uh, how was the Vault? I’ve heard Vault monsters are pretty nasty. Didn’t the last one have tentacles?”

Armored shoulders rose in a brief shrug.

“This one didn’t have tentacles. What a relief; Nisha would have loved it even more that way… It had three faces instead. It… put up a good fight.”

Using a metal bottle opener pulled from her hip pouch, the scrapper opened her bottle of rakk ale and reached out for Athena’s; the bartender didn’t have a chance to open the beverages. The assassin responded by popping the top off using a protrusion in her armor. Janey felt the corner of her mouth twitch into a smirk.

“Never would have thought of that one. So, what happened next?”

Athena’s face froze and whatever ease she had been showing vanished. Her brow furrowed as her expression shifted from neutral to something more distant. Something… sad. Or at least that’s what the blonde got from the look.

“Jack tried to seize the power of the Vault. He wanted to unleash a vault guardian on Pandora. The Warrior, he called it. He… He isn’t the same person. I finished the job, and have no loyalty to him.” Her even, measured tone screamed that she didn’t want to talk about it. 

The junker took a swig of her ale to bide time as she thought of another topic. Luckily one came to mind right away.

“Find anything good there?”

She couldn’t read the gladiator’s mask of a face until Athena suddenly grinned. It was ephemeral, but it put Janey at ease once again.

“A pretty decent pistol. With a bowie attachment. A new class mod.”

“You mean that pauldron-thingie? I thought it looked different! Find any good Oz kits? Mine’s about shot, what with those ruddy scavs and kraggons…”

There was a moment of hesitation and the ex-assassin’s gaze shot to the ceiling. After a moment, no longer than the blink of an eye, she dug in her backpack and brought out a spare Oz kit.

“Would this do? I didn’t even take the time to go through my share of the loot. I have another one if you’d like to–”

“Nah, that’s a bonza one, there, ‘Thena. You sure I can have it?”

“Go ahead. You saved my life earlier, it’s the least I can do.” 

She didn’t have the heart to mention that it was one of the items she picked up leaving the Vault. One of the last items she had to keep herself in bullets and Rejuvenators for the next week. Food was a different matter altogether. She let the thought slide. The merc lifted her bottle to her lips when the Elpis native grinned.

“So, uh, what had you in such a hurry, ‘Thena?”

Athena hurriedly took a sip– no, a gulp of her drink as her cheeks started to flush. Janey sure as hell knew it wasn’t the booze making her companion blush; the ex-Lancer only took a single sip. Rakk ale on Elpis wasn’t very strong; it was practically piss-water. (Janey was sure Moxxi had it watered down.) The shorter woman was avoiding eye contact at all costs when their food arrived. There was a brief look of relief on the vault hunter’s face when the pizza was set before them. Moxxi’s always had pizza, regardless of locale. It was one of those universal facts. Like Marcus refusing to grant refunds. 

“I haven’t seen pizza since I was last on Pandora… When one of my sister assassins stole it from the other officers—”

The brief spark of a happy memory died and she shook her head, refusing to continue the thought.

“You know, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“I don’t even know why I mentioned it. Seems like I just want to talk whenever you’re around.”

“And yet, all you eva manage to say is ‘um’ or ‘I need to get back to work’.” 

The wry grin on Janey’s face made Athena cringe, her cheeks tinting red once more.

“I was raised an assassin. People skills… aren’t part of the job.”

“I can see why. ‘G’day, mate. I’m here to kill you. Nah, it won’t hurt much. Ripper of a day to die, huh, mate? Just doin’ my job. Say hello to your dead mum while you’re there.’” 

The scrapper watched in amusement as Athena’s eyebrows knitted together and the corner of her mouth twitched. And then the gladiator laughed. She laughed until she had to cradle her head in her hands in attempt to hide her face and stifle her fit of giggles. It only served to make Janey laugh harder.

“Crikey, ‘Thena. I think you’ll kill me by making me laugh!”

“I have a story that would probably kill you, then.”

“Can we at least eat before you kill me? I haven’t eaten in yonks.”

Not too long later, the blonde was clutching her ribs, as tears started flowing down her face. Three rakk ales and the golden key fairy story later and she was in absolute stitches. Maybe the rakk ale was stronger than she thought. Athena’s face was flushed as she produced a single golden key from her vest pocket, which only started the fit all over again. 

A few other patrons glanced their way, but they ignored the few questioning stares. B4R-B0T came around to find the source of the ruckus, which was surprising considering DJ Boom and Rang’s music. He ultimately quit and decided that he needed a drink himself. 

“Nisha… Actually… called you the ‘Golden Key Fairy’? What a bloody nickname! I’m Athena, the assassin, and Golden Key Fairy.” At first she struggled to form words until at last she managed to control her laughing.

Athena could only manage a nod, her lips pressed firmly shut as though to dam the flood of laughter.

“I haven’t laughed that hard in ages, ‘Thena.”

There was a genuine smile on the gladiator’s face and for a moment it took the junker’s breath away all over again.

“I told you it was good. They always did seem to get over their heads.”

Things went quiet between them. Both sipped at their rakk ale and pondered the next step.

“So, what happens, now, Athena?” She took care to not drop the first a in the other woman’s name. 

That wiped the smile from the vault hunter’s face. She took a sip of her booze and brushed a stray lock from her face, eyes scanning the bar. 

“I haven’t thought that far yet. Maybe I’ll go back to Pandora. Scout out Old Haven, find a place there. Atlas rations almost never go bad, so there’s bound to be food. I can still hack their old buildings…”

This time Janey’s brows knitted together. She frowned at the thought of never seeing Athena again; and just when they were getting along.

“I hope this doesn’t sound too forward, but, maybe you could stay with me? I have an extra room and you’d be no bother. I mean, if you’d want to stay on Elpis. Take a break from vault hunting and murderin’ baddies.”

“Would you want me staying with you, Springs? I… I might not be the best house guest.”

“No worries. So long as you aren’t as bad as a scav or a kraggon, you’ll be fine. Sounds like you might’ve pissed off a few blokes. Lay low, take it easy a while.”

“I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

“Do a few odd jobs for me here and there, maybe gather some scrap and you’re gold, ‘Thena.”

Athena sat in silence for a moment, mulling over her options. Her lips pressed together and her eyes darted to one side until at last she met the blonde’s eyes.

“That… sounds like a deal, Springs.”

“Not uh, it’s Janey, ‘Thena. Just Janey.”

“Um, sure… Janey.”


	13. Caffeination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because we all know Janey would pull this kind of crap on Athena.

Athena’s feet drug over the linoleum of Janey’s kitchen, her eyes barely open as she made her way to the cabinet holding her stash of coffee.

“Coffee…” She mumbled, word only half-formed as she reached for the cupboard’s door. 

Her coffee wasn’t on its usual shelf. She reached in, patting blindly, hoping to feel the familiar foil of the packet. Her search was in vain.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Rubbing at her eyes, the gladiator took a step back and did a scan of the cupboard. She groaned loudly when she spotted the package of Hyperion’s Best on the top shelf.

“One of these days, Springs.” She grumbled as she shuffled over to grab a kitchen chair.

The chair didn’t move when she pulled it. She tried again, but it still didn’t budge. Athena knelt down and spotted a set of bolts rigged through the feet of the chair. 

“For the love of…”

The ex-Vault Hunter silently counted to ten and then returned to the counter below the cupboard. Her brow furrowed as she boosted herself onto the imitation granite. A few awkward minutes of trying to position herself so that she wouldn’t topple over later, she extended her arm, straining to reach the coffee. It was still out of her reach. Standing on the counter was much too precarious – and the last thing she wanted was to have to explain to Nurse Nina how she injured herself.

With a groan, Athena eased herself off of her knees, letting her legs dangle over the counter. She was about to drop to the floor when Janey entered the room. The junker’s hair stood out in every direction and she was busy wiping drool from the corner of her mouth when she spotted her roommate/girlfriend. Her sleepy dopiness was gone the instant she saw the look of absolute frustration on the ex-assassin’s face. A sly grin began to creep across her lips.

“’Thena, what’re you doin’ on the counter?”

“My coffee, Springs. Get it down.”

“Danger, danger, danger, someone’s a might grumpy.” Danger sounded more like ‘Dane-jah’, like the way a certain conservationist would say it.

The blue-haired woman’s eyes narrowed, her lips becoming a thin slash on her face as she glared at her girlfriend.

“Not funny, Springs.”

“I’m not gettin’ it down until you say the magic word, ‘Thena.”

Athena’s eyeroll looked positively painful. She released a breath in an exasperated sigh.

“Please get my coffee down, Springs.”

“Nah, nah. That wasn’t very sincere, ‘Thena. Try again.”

The gladiator’s shoulders drooped and her brow creased, the expression clearly reading ‘oh come on.’

“Would you get my coffee down, please, Janey?” At some point she had discovered that calling the junker by her first name usually scored her some brownie points.

“Give me a kiss and you’ve got yourself a deal, ‘Thena.”

The ex-Lancer didn’t bother rising from the counter as Janey approached her. At least it was easier for her to reach the blonde’s lips from where she was sitting. When the kiss broke off, Athena muttered ‘you’re impossible’ under her breath. The black marketeer grinned as she easily got the foil packet off of the top shelf. She placed it in her girlfriend’s palm and made her way to the refrigerator to rummage for her breakfast.

“Was it really necessary to bolt down the chairs?”

“What? Oh. Nah. I just wanted to. Makes me feel real important when I can do something you can’t.”

“There are easier ways to get my attention.”

“Oh, I know. I just like messin’ with ya, shorty.”

Athena dropped off of the counter, fixing a glare on the blonde. Janey smirked in response, letting the refrigerator door slam shut behind her. After a pause to set down her breakfast (leftover pizza from Moxxi’s), she crossed over to where the gladiator was grumpily setting up her morning coffee.

“Oh, don’t go gettin’ mad with me. You should see some of the pranks I’ve pulled on Pickle. There’s a reason he nevah comes around.”

“I pity the kid.”

“Don’t. He nicked my favourite spanner.”

“Then what did I do wrong?” 

The shorter woman allowed her gaze to wander over to the junker for just a moment and she fought back the urge to smile at Janey’s pajamas. Boxers and a tank top really suited her…

“Let Torgue destroy my laser gun. I really liked that one.”

“Oh.”

“No worries, we’re even now.”

Janey slid her arms around Athena’s waist and grinned. She pressed her lips to her girlfriend’s temple and sighed contentedly. Athena smiled despite herself; okay maybe she could let the coffee thing slide. She found it was very hard to stay mad at the scrapper for long. At least until the coffee maker fell apart and dropped a gear into her mug. The blonde desperately tried to stifle a giggle, but the noise escaped her.

Without a moment of hesitation she let go of the gladiator and turned on her heel in time to hear Athena swear.

“That’s it, you’re dead, Springs. Get back here!”

“Crap, crap, crap!”

The chase didn’t last very long being that there weren’t many places to hide in or run to in Janey’s tiny (and cluttered) apartment. The black marketeer soon regretted telling her girlfriend that she was ticklish. She wound up in a small bundle on the floor, clutching her ribs with tears streaming down her face from laughing. The shorter woman stalked off to fix the coffee maker. Janey had learned her lesson: never fuck with Athena’s caffeine fix.


	14. Cure for the Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just something cute that I whipped up while bored to tears at a wedding...

“You okay over there, Athena? Have you been sleepin’ lately?”

Athena’s hand slipped out from under her chin and her head dropped, startling her back into consciousness.  
“Shit.”

“Second time this week you fell asleep in your tucker. Are ya sure you’re alright?”

The gladiator blinked slowly a few times, glancing down at the fork she dropped on the floor. She frowned and leaned over to pick up the utensil; it fell from her grip. It took her a few tries to finally grab and lift the fork. Janey lifted her scarred eyebrow, rolling her eyes. The table was silent as the dark haired woman wiped her utensil clean.

“The nightmares are back.”

“Oh. Why didn’t ya tell me? I know a bonza thing to take care of a nightmare. Well, after you finish tuckin’ in.”

The ex-assassin brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, which made the dark bags that were forming under her eyes even more visible. Using the tip of her fork, she pushed around some of her food, picking out a few pieces of the Dahl rations. 

“How long have those dreams been goin’ on?”

“A couple of days now... They normally end on their own.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“Sorry. I didn’t want to bother you. It’s Atlas problems.”

“You don’t have to deal with it alone, Athena.”

“I, uh, I know. I just... Thought I could handle it on my own.”

Janey leaned forward across the scarred table, her hand brushing the back of Athena’s.   
“No-uh, you’re not alone anymore. You don’t have to be the lone badass, ‘Thena.”

“Sorry, Springs. Uh, Janey.”

“No worries. I know you’re not used to this kind of thing just yet.”

Athena finished picking at her meal and pushed her plate away from her, exhaling through her nose.

“So, what’s this cure-all for nightmares of yours?”

“Sleepin’ together.”

“What?”

“When I was little my mum used to let me crawl in her bed and the nightmares would--” She flourished her hands with a slight smile.

“Whoosh! They’d be gone.”

“Uh, Janey, my parents are dead.”

Once more the blonde lifted her scarred eyebrow, this time leaning back in her chair with a disbelieving grin.

“You’re really bad at conversation, ‘Thena. We’ll have to work on that. But, no, ‘Thena, you... You’ll be sharin’ my bed. I’m pretty tough, I’ll have you know. These kraggon tattoos aren’t for decoration, Athena. I’ll keep ya safe. And if you still have ‘em, I’ll be right there. Just kick me awake. It’ll work out.”

Athena soon realized that she had a hard time saying no when she saw Janey’s wide smile.  
“I’m trusting you on this, Janey.”

“Bonza. I won’t try anything weird. I said I’d wait until ya were ready for that.”

“I appreciated it.”

The gladiator pushed out her chair, knocking it over and nearly stumbling over it in the process. Janey snickered, covering her mouth with her hand in an attempt to silence the noise. The ex-Lancer fixed her girlfriend with a pointed glare before she bending to right the fallen chair. The junker started laughing as she gathered the plates. It had to do with the kicked puppy look on Athena’s face. She slapped her girlfriend’s hand as she reached for the plate.  
“I’ve got it. Don’t want you droppin’ my plates.”

Athena sighed in resignation, her shoulders drooping. One night couldn’t hurt, could it?  
****

“I should warn you, I may drool a little in my sleep. I don’t snore, though. And I already promised to keep my hands to myself. All set, ‘Thena?”

“I will keep that in mind. This feels... weird.” Athena nervously shuffled her feet, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

“No worries, you can always go back to your own bed. I won’t be disappointed. I’m doin’ this for you.”

With a soft sigh, Athena eased herself down onto the edge of the blonde’s bed. Janey pulled back the covers, doing a quick check that she didn’t leave any junk under the sheets. The gladiator smiled just slightly as she surveyed her surroundings. Assorted odds and ends were stacked along the walls. There was at least a dozen Dahl crates, lining the room’s edges. It was organized chaos; exactly what she expected of her girlfriend’s bedroom.  
“It’s a ruddy mess, I know. I keep gettin’ distracted every time I go to clean. You... can get into the bed, ‘Thena. Most people actually sleep under the covers.”

She received a pointed glare as a reply. The ex-assassin swung her legs up on the bed, still cautiously eyeing the Elpis native. The junker flopped onto the bed, which made the mattress creak. She offered a big grin to her companion before tugging at the sheets and a well-worn comforter. 

“You need to relax, ‘Thena. Didn’t you Atlas types ever sleep?”

“Once in a blue moon.”

Janey’s brown eyes resembled saucers, her mouth forming a small o in horror.   
“I’m kidding. Atlas enhancers only last for a limited time. Your so-called super soldiers have to sleep at some point.”

The answer seemed to satisfy the black marketeer. She smacked her pillow a few times and startled to settle into the bed. Athena opted for a much quieter approach to bedding down. There wasn’t much room on the bed for two grown women, that much was obvious.  
“Cozy, eh? Least it’s better than a cot.”

She smiled again as she pulled off her headband and tossed it on the cluttered nightstand next to her.

“G’night, ‘Thena. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Janey.”

Not even five minutes later, Janey was snoring softly. The noise wasn’t enough to keep Athena awake all night, though she made a mental note to tease the scrapper about it. The bed was much softer and warmer than she expected it to be. Her eyelids grew heavy and soon sleep took over her.  
The dream started the same as many of her other dreams-- more memory than fantasy. There were unreal elements to them, but those were fleeting. Things like General Knoxx in Hawaiian print armor, her sister assassins in togas, stupid crap or so she would say. This dream started with her squadron.

Four young women, all clad in the sleek grey and black armor of the Lance and their accompanying back up of a single fire team of Lance Infantry. It was mission day, which might as well have been a Monday seeing how common they were. Instead of the usual coord drop, they were to be sent in blind, no Echo systems except the very basics. Heat vision only. A mark for mass extermination. A fail safe to prevent any last minute change of heart... As the mass teleport began, Athena’s heart sank into an icy pit in her gut.  
The screams began only minutes later.

Janey bolted awake, jarred from slumber by the strangled noises escaping her bedmate. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and started shaking Athena’s shoulder. The gladiator’s breathing was labored, her knuckles going white around where the covers were balled in her fist. The blonde shook her harder, desperately calling her girlfriend’s name until at last blue eyes flew open. Athena gasped for air, hot tears streaming down her high cheekbones as she eased herself into an upright position. She cradled her head in her hands as she tried to regain control over her breathing. 

“Athena, are you alright?”

The gladiator attempted to swallow, her mouth drier than the surface of Elpis. Eventually, she nodded,

“Sorry.” Her voice came from somewhere far off, the sound weak.

“What was it about?”

“My sister.”

“When...” She didn’t have to finish the sentence to get a small nod from her girlfriend.

“Athena, come here.”

Athena reluctantly withdrew her hands from her face, turning to Janey. Without another word, the blonde embraced her, pressing her head close to her scarred chest.

“My mum used to tell me nightmares were normal, something people had to go through to remind them that fear existed... And sometimes, normal people have to be reminded of some of the worst things they’ve gone through so that they can see how far they’ve come.”

She paused to find her words while absentmindedly stroking her girlfriend’s hair. The gladiator’s breathing had slowed to normal and her tears had stopped.  
“But anyway, Athena, if these dreams keep wakin’ you, come to me. I might not keep them at bay, but at least you’ll have me there for you. How about we try this again? Except, we’ll try somethin’ different.”

Athena opened her mouth to protest, but was drug back down to the mattress before she could utter a syllable. Janey pressed her close, wrapping one arm around her girlfriend’s waist. The shorter woman’s gaze flicked down and she squirmed until her back was to Janey’s chest and far away from the distraction of soft breasts. She couldn’t free herself of the arm on her waist no matter how much she struggled; a sleeping partner’s arm would always weigh more than lead.  
Eventually, she gave in and let the junker cuddle her-- and that was mostly due to her falling asleep in the warmth of her arms. 

***

Athena awoke to find a puddle of drool on her pillow and soft snores in her ear. Their positions had shifted a few times in the night and somehow Janey had all the covers save for the wafer-thin top sheet. Her heavy arm was once more draped over the ex-Lancer’s waist with her palm pressed to the shorter woman’s sternum. At first the gladiator frowned at her situation, but she couldn’t argue with a good night’s rest. She allowed herself to settle back against her girlfriend until she heard the blonde clear her throat.  
“Gotten a little cozy there, huh, ‘Thena?”

“I, uh...”

The junker tugged her back, wrapping both arms more firmly around her bedmate, who made a pathetic little squeak as she was pulled back in. The black marketeer was stronger than she looked. The snoring began again and Athena groaned. It didn’t take long for her to realize it was faked.  
“You lied about the snoring. And you hogged the blankets.”

“And yet, here you are.”

Athena tried to to tug the blonde’s arms off of her to no avail; and impressive feat if she had ever seen one.  
“Really, Janey?”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

“Then I count that as a success. I told you it works.”

The gladiator felt her lips curl into a small smile. It was a victory worth remembering even if it was fleeting.


	15. Turbulence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I wrote to help me handle the godawful turbulence on my flight back home from a family vacation.

Janey's wide palm closed on Athena's forearm, her knuckles growing pale. The gladiator's gaze traveled over to the woman beside her and she smirked. 

"Janey, we haven't even taken off yet."

"How did you stand being launched in one of these tin cans? I'm bloody terrified."

"This is nothing compared to my landing on Elpis."

"Isn't there an easier way to get to Pandora?"

"I'm afraid not, but we'll be fine, I promise. If things get bad, we have a pair of shields and oz kits. I can't guarantee we'll survive, but... I was shot to the moon in a cargo crate from a space station and lived."

The blonde's grip only tightened, her calloused knuckles going as white as humanly possible.

"I feel _real_ comfortable, Athena."

"Be glad it's not Atlas transport."

The junker shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She released it slowly, easing back her vice-like hold on the ex-Lancer's arm. 

"We'll be fine, Janey."

"We betta bloody be. And you still need to work on your conversation skills..."

"Sorry."

"So, when do we take off?"

"As soon as we get the clearance, which should be about... now."

"What?!"

The rocket began to careen down its rail, picking up speed as it roared toward the lift off ramp. It was an old Dahl model, big enough for a single fireteam and some ammo, with autolaunch and a built-in navigation system. Manual override could only be activated in emergencies-- and sometimes jammed. Not that Athena would tell that to Janey. She kept her eyes on the console, checking their velocity and thrust (the blonde would probably laugh over that if she wasn't clutching the gladiator's arm in a death grip). Systems good, O2 at norm. Pressure stabilizing. No problem.

Worst came to worst, Athena could guide the thing to a landing. Not incredibly well, but enough to get them to the ground in mostly one piece. With the flip of a switch, she disengaged the metal visor, allowing them a clear view of Pandora looking below them. Jack may have let them go in blind, but she sure as hell wouldn't.

"Are we still alive?"

"We are, and if you open your eyes, you'll see Pandora."

Janey shook her head.

"Not-uh."

"You sure? It's not that bad of a view."

Another head shake from the junker. It was probably hard for an off-worlder to deal with a rapidly approaching planet, or more accurately, approaching a strange new rock in the middle of space. Not that Pandora was a welcoming sight. 

"I have a med contact waiting on the ground. We'll get you set up for grav sickness. I have a safe haven prepped for us until you're ready to be transported to Hollow Point. I don't want to rush you; grav sickness is a bitch."

Janey nodded, brown eyes still tightly shut. With her free hand, Athena patted her girlfriend's hand, rubbing the white knuckles closed over her forearm. 

"Are we even close?"

"ETA is about an hour. We're making good time and all systems are normal."

Janey released her breath and opened an eye for a second or two.

"Remind me again why we're goin' to Pandora?"

"It was hard to lie low when people knew where you lived. And we have pissed off some pretty badass people."

"But why Pandora? Aren't _they_ there?"

"More places to hide. Let Jack and the old Vault Hunters fight each other. We couldn't afford a transport to one of the Edens."

"But we'll be safe on Pandora, right?"

"Considering that it's part of the largely abandoned Rustyard Commons. And now New Haven is gone, we should be fine. Jack isn't smart enough to execute such a broad attack."

"What would you have done?"

"Which me are we talking about? The Atlas killing machine, or the ex-Lance merc?"

"Atlas."

Athena turned in her seat to face Janey and smirked. Not that her girlfriend could see her expression through her closed eyelids.

"It's best that you don't know, Janey. You'll see enough of my... work when we are on Pandora. I can show you one day. I still have a cache of old Atlas tech. It should be able to cover some bills."

"Preparing for descent, soldier! Stow your shit and ready your gear!" The prerecorded message echoed in the tiny cabin.

Athena shifted in her seat once more, reviewing the gauges as they prepared for entering Pandora's atmosphere.

"We'll be... home, soon, Janey. Safer, I promise."

Janey's grip had loosened as they spoke, her fingers barely grazing the sides of Athena's forearm. They threatened to tighten once more as she opened her eyes and got a view of the red sand and distant snow caps. 

"I just want off this bloody thing."

"Soon, Janey, soon."

The gladiator wanted to laugh; the junker now had an idea how bad grav sickness was in comparison to the g's on the rocket. At least they would be on solid ground soon enough. Closer to Jack and the Vault Hunters, but hidden in plain sight. It would have to do.


	16. Reward for a Hard Day's Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a brief drabble I came up with a while back and never got around to posting. This is probably one of the last drabbles I'll posting in this series.

Athena’s pale eyes scanned her surroundings, her palm resting alongside her thigh holster. Her borrowed (read: stolen) bandit technical was loaded with scrap and she silently smirked to herself. Her finger strayed to the Echo headset and she dialed Janey after a moment of hesitation.

“I’ve got the scrap. Found some old Atlas gear in the rubble. I’ll be home soon, darling.”

“Check your Echo files, ‘Thena. I have somethin’ you might want to see. Hurry home, hon.”

The ex-assassin pulled up her inbox and let the first file pop up on her heads-up display. Her jaw dropped open as blood flushed to her cheeks and chest. In the image, Janey only wore her headband and a lazy smile. The camera was angled precariously, showing off both smooth skin and her scars. Athena’s eyes trailed her girlfriend’s flat, toned stomach down to her svelte hips. Her mouth puddled with saliva as she forced herself to shut the image. She leapt into the big rig, revving it up before slamming her boot on the booster. Some jobs were more than worth the reward at the end.


	17. Nisha: Elpis' Worst Wingwoman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is sadly based of a real-world experience of mine. In which I was Athena and my best bro was Nisha.

“Uh, Springs, could you fix this for me?”

Athena gestured to a jammed blade on the back of Aspis. The edge had bent from where it collided with a metal wall after rebounding off of Deadlift’s skull.

“I’ll have it done flat chat.”

The gladiator blinked a few times as she tried to figure out exactly what was said to her. She gave up and reached for her wallet, only to feel a warm but calloused hand brush over her forearm.

“No worries, ‘Thena, this one’s on me.”

—

The Vault Hunters were making one final stop in Concordia before they would make their return to Helios. The gladiator had been trying to avoid seeing the junker especially since the last patch she had made had been utterly destroyed by Felicity Rampant. The first time she set out to speak to Janey, the scrapper was busy repairing a vending machine. The ex-assassin had bolted off after tripping over herself.

Arranging for the repairs was easy; picking up the shield, however…

“So, what do ya think, ‘Thena?”

“Looks good as new, Springs. I appreciate it.”

Athena hesitated for a moment before offering a small bundle of bills just as Nisha sauntered into the junker’s office. The blonde eyed the stack of bills, surprise lighting up her features.

“This is the biggest tip anyone evah gave me.”

In a rare moment of sheer brilliance, the mercenary felt herself grin.

“It’s just the tip.” She regretted saying the line the instant it left her lips.

Nisha snorted when she spied the grin on Janey’s face. She took the opportunity to step up to her fellow Vault Hunter and wrapped an arm around her companion’s shoulders, tapping her fingers on the other woman’s breast plate.

“My girl Athena here has some of the fastest fingers on Elpis. She’ll have you screaming before you can say butt slam.”

Athena felt her cheeks starting to burn as her eyes darted to the shop’s exit no less than a dozen times in the span of a second. Janey’s grin had shrunk to something between a smirk and a grimace. Her scarred eyebrow lifted as she considered her bestie’s words.

“I, uh, I’m going to check on the others. Thanks again, Springs.”

The gladiator ducked out from under Nisha’s arm and all but bolted for the door. The lawbringer shrugged and tipped her hat at the scrapper.

“See you, Janey.”

Janey blinked a few times and waited until the Vault Hunters were out of sight before she started laughing.


	18. While You Were Sleeping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by an anon on Tumblr.

The problem was, Athena couldn’t sleep. Atlas had her conditioned to only sleep in short bursts maybe a few times a week. Just enough to keep her alive, just enough for the enhancers to do their thing. Adapting to life that allowed for regular sleeping habits turned out to be a real challenge. 

Janey was accommodating. She never pressured Athena into trying to sleep. Never tried forcing her to do anything she didn’t want to do. Athena was… appreciative. For Janey’s sake, she attempted a few hours of sleep a night,

Sharing a bed was a different problem entirely. At first it was pleasant. Those few precious hours of slumber the gladiator got were some of the most restful hours of sleep she had ever had. But then, like clockwork, she’d wake. A warm arm would be draped over her. Some nights there was drool on the pillow. Janey’s soft snores called her to sleep, but her body wouldn’t obey. So she stayed awake, lying in the darkness of Janey’s bedroom. Listening to the soft sounds of her sleeping lover. 

Those long nights gave her a lot of time to think. To reflect on how much she had changed. 

One night she was restless. Her sleep fitful, full of nightmares and unpleasant memories surfacing from deep in her mind. She woke, choking back a gasp. Janey twitched, but didn’t stir. But the arm around her had tightened just slightly. Athena fought to catch her breath, her jaw tensing at first. Then her eyes fell on the scarred arm tucked tightly around her waist. 

She wasn’t sure what compelled her to brush her fingers over the ridges left by kraggon fire. Janey’s finger twitched just slightly. Athena sat in silence, letting her pulse settle. Her eyes never left the junker lying next to her. 

“I never thought I’d say this, but… I think I could love you, Springs. I guess Atlas didn’t take that from me after all.” 

“Love you too, ‘Thena.” Janey mumbled softly, her face buried in the nook of Athena’s arm. 

Athena jerked slightly in surprise. Janey nuzzled her, settling back in. Her soft snores started not too long later. Athena allowed herself the tiniest of smiles. She couldn’t be all that bad if Janey loved her.


	19. The Fyrestone Witch Diary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lotus063 on Tumblr.  
> I have not seen the Blair Witch series, so I apologize in advance.

Janey turned her camera on herself, smiling despite the fact that they were clearly lost. Timothy was leaning his head on a tree, groaning softly about them being doomed. Wilhelm had his back to them, but it was obvious he was sneering.

“Day five of our search for the source of the murders here in Fyrestone.”

“Turn that damn thing off. The witch’ll hear us.”

Timothy buried his face in the tree, whimpering softly.

“Oh come on, it was a little skag shakin’ our tent. Nothing to worry about, things are bonza.”

“I really wish you’d stop saying that. Every time you say it something bad happens.” Timothy returned his grip to his tree.

Wilhelm turned, glaring daggers at Janey. Their map was gone, they were lost and some nut job was stalking them. And she was still chipper.

Janey’s camera whipped around to a series of piled stones and a single twig doll set in the center of the stone ring.

“Real evidence here. A real rippa of a find. I think we’re finally getting close!”

Neither of her companions looked too pleased even as they made camp. Their stomachs growled. They barely slept that night, thanks to rustling sounds. Well, rustling sounds mixed with furious screams.

They woke up with skag hides littering their camp, entrails strung from the trees.

“Oh god.” Timothy retched despite his empty stomach.

Wilhelm’s nose twitched a snarl curling his lip. Janey’s camera was out again, taking in the gory sight. She couldn’t contain her excitement.

Wilhelm was gone that night. Timothy clung to Janey, shivering in fear. He was becoming more and more unstrung. Janey wasn’t perturbed, her excitement only growing.

The ghastly screams began. They sounded like Wilhelm. Timothy begged to go home, begged for the compass. Anything to get him away from the mess of their excursion.

They wandered lost, both somewhat delirious with hunger until at last a cabin came into view. Timothy ran in, hoping for some form of salvation. Janey filmed everything. Fear only registered when Timothy vanished, screaming into the basement.

Heavy boots thumped on old, weathered floorboards. Janey’s breath hitched in her throat. She turned slowly, her camera’s lens bobbing. The camera hit the floor with a thud, feed dying after the lens cracked.

“Bloody hell, you’re gorgeous.”

“Wh–what?”

Janey felt a grin work across her lips. She was expected a disfigured, warped hag, not a woman around her age with piercing blue eyes.

“You’re a real sight.”

“I just killed your friends. You, uh, probably should run.”

“Nuh-uh. Now where’d I put that spare camera?”

The Fyrestone witch backed off, brow knitting together. That… was not what she expected.


	20. Just A Fantasy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little something I wrote for one of my dear friends seeing that I was absent from our usual write and bitch sessions for a few weeks in prep for MegaCon. The prompt was Janey having a cliche fantasy about Athena.

Janey rested her elbows on her workbench, gaze scanning over the wastes surrounding Concordia. Her shop was empty; business was slow. She pursed her lips as she let her mind wander. As usual, her mind went to one place. The sexy vault hunter, the mysterious and kind of awkward one, Athena.

She rested her chin on her hand. Maybe it was the loneliness of Serenity’s Waste. Maybe it was the moondust. Now what was that word for the all female warrior race again? A– something. Amazon. She had an image come to mind. Sculpted, minimal armor. Toned abs exposed. Broad arms with delicate, gold ornamentation. She leaned back in her chair, trying to form her little fantasy world.

It would be a desert world, barren. The sun would be blistering hot. For some reason she pictured leather. Train of thought temporarily derailed, she scratched at the scars above her eyebrow. No, that wasn’t right. Try something else.

Maybe the world would be a green world with sparkling, blue water like she had seen in an Echofilm. And, nope, her mind went straight back to the leather. 

Deep crimson dyed skag hide, maybe with dark grey trim. Tight enough to accentuate her powerful thighs. Thighs that could crush a scav’s skull with ease. Janey realized that she would readily accept that fate should it be offered to her.

Was it leather or latex she was thinking about? She pondered the smells and the sheen. No, definitely leather. Pants and a corset. No – a bodysuit– no, that was impractical. She chewed her lower lip, trying to get her mind to settle on an image she liked.

Back to the Amazon look. Short leather skirt, some kind of hide boob armor that left very little to the imagination. Carrying her sword and shield, of course. Yeah, she could live with that mental image, though a little voice in the back of her head was screaming ‘leather, collars’.

Janey sighed dreamily. She could write a book on the glory of the vault hunter. Definitely not a children’s book. The city lights dimmed, startling her. Janey groped in the semi-darkness until she found a desk clock she assembled out of moon zoomy parts. Seven o’clock. Nearly time for the Meriff’s curfew. She set down the clock before giving her shop a quick once over. Dead empty.

Store locked up, she made her way to her tiny, cluttered flat. Her mind never left its single, narrow focus. She tossed her tool kits on a coffee table she assembled out of scrap. Beer in hand, she dropped onto her threadbare couch, the springs groaning under her weight. She settled back, propping up her feet while uttering a silent prayer that the table wouldn’t collapse. It held. Now, where was she?

Oh right. Leather. Crimson. Grey accents. Keeping to her stiff, military posture. Holding herself like a commander. The heeled boots thumping on her apartment’s cheap linoleum. Janey could practically feel the cuffs digging into her wrists. There’d be anticipation, the thrill of the game. She’d just be able to smell the acrid gunpowder that was a permanent part of Athena’s personal aroma. There would be a dull ache in her shoulders not long after Athena started. She doubted Athena would be the type to allow her to watch everything going on. Dark room or maybe even a blindfold. That heavy scarf tied over her eyes.

Suddenly the idea of the crimson leather was rendered redundant. It was still a nice thought. One nice image before the blindfold was tied. One little reprieve before she would feel those strong hands on her. Thick fingers tangling into her hair, pulling. Rough kisses.

Janey bit her lower lip. She didn’t realize that her knuckles had paled from the tight grip she had on the armrest of her battered couch. She had so many uses for that powerful– Janey nearly leapt out of her skin when she heard heavy thudding on her door. Oh that was just not fair. She muttered a soft ten count before kicking her feet off of the makeshift table. Her knees wobbled as she rose, half stumbling over her own piles of scrap. The pounding began again.

“I’m comin’, I’m comin’. Don’t get your panties in a twist, mate.”

She tripped over grinder gears, face thumping into the back side of her metal door. She rubbed at her nose, hastily wondering if she smelled of musk. Too late, she cracked the door.

“Oh, Springs. You’re, uh, bleeding.”

Fuuuccckkk.

“Oh, um, hi, ‘Thena.” Her voice came out huskier than she intended.

She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “Do you need somethin’?”

“Uh, I brought you back the wrench I borrowed. Sorry to bother you.”

An oil-stained, paper wrapped bundle was passed to her through the narrow gap in the door.

“You sure you don’t want to come inside?”

“Got missions, sorry. Uh, is everything alright? Your voice sounds, odd.”

“Inhaled too much dust while workin’. I’ll be fine. You take care, ‘Thena.”

“Same to you, Springs. Thanks again.”

Janey shut the door behind Athena, letting her knees give out. She slid down the door, groaning in frustration. She tossed her spanner aside.

“Did it again, Springs, you bloody mess.”

She found herself wondering if she had remembered to stock up on power cells. It was going to be a long night.


	21. The Small Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from soloe. I'm taking inspiration from my irl relationship.

Athena wasn't exactly sure what prompted her to buy the tool set. She had no need for any tools aside from the tiny Atlas-issue gun repair kit she kept on her at all times. This particular kit was bulky, heavy, and smelled heavily of oil. For the most part, the tools were clean and in good shape, a rarity for something bought from Crazy Earl. Fifty moonstones. Fifty. She could have used them to upgrade her kit. She could have used them to get guns. But there she was, lugging a tool kit in the middle of the night, heading down to Janey's quarters in the lower levels of Concordia. 

She had a perfect memory. She lingered on the conversations she had with Janey, repeating them in her head over and over. Well, the ones where her response wasn't just 'uhh', or some other muttered syllables that were supposed to resemble words. One conversation in particular had stood out.

"Yeah, looks like my kit's gettin' a little worn out. Shouldn't have bought such shonky tools, but, hey, what's a girl to do?"

"Must be hard running a repair business without tools."

"Like Vault Huntin' without a gun, really."

Athena had made a vague excuse to leave and had disappeared into Concordia in hopes of finding a tool kit worthy of Janey. She searched shop after shop. Nurse Nina offered her a kit, but when she examined it, it only contained a bone saw, a laser, and a tool that Athena had no desire to find out what it was used for. Moxxi was definitely out. She would not take it well if she found out her tools wound up in the hands of Janey. Not that Athena usually cared about such matters, but still. Her very last stop was Crazy Earl. If anyone had tools, it would be him. Well, tools and archaeologists' panties. The interaction was less than pleasant. She could smell Earl through his steel door. She didn't bother haggling. Not when his atrocious BO was burning her eyes and gagging her. The kit was heavy, but it was full and mostly free of the rustvirus. It was worth its weight in moonstones.

She whacked herself in the thigh with the kit a few times. She felt even more thankful for her armor. She switched hands a few times, not because of the weight of the tool kit, but because of sweaty palms. Her gloves felt damp. A cold sweat trickled down her spine. She had no idea why she felt nervous, but she did. Janey terrified her in a way. She fascinated her. Despite her best efforts, Athena knew she was enamored. She paused outside of the small apartment that Janey called home. There was a small pile of scrap next to her door. The door was corroded thanks to a battery acid spill and the light in front of her door flickered ominously. 

Athena drew in a shaky breath. She exhaled loudly. She tapped on the door. It was barely audible. She tried again, her fist thudding heavily on the steel door. Too loud. She flinched. She could just make out booted footsteps on the other side of the door. Her heart thudded loudly. She considered running, but the door opened. 

Janey looked confused at first, but then a smile worked its way across her face. 

"'Thena? What brings you here?"

"I, uh, I bought this for you. You, uh, said you needed new tools. So, I bought you them." Smooth. Really smooth.

Athena could already picture Nisha laughing hysterically at her. 

"That's... The sweetest thing someone has ever done for me. Thank you, 'Thena!"

Athena flinched when she felt warm arms snake around her. Her armor dug into Janey's chest, but the woman didn't let go. 

"I, uh, you're welcome?"

"You're really sweet, 'Thena. Real, sweet. I really appreciate it. I really do."

Athena's lips twitched into a slight smile. She didn't even realize she was capable of smiling. 

"Oh my god, you're even prettier when you smile."

Warmth flooded Athena's cheeks. "I, uh, should get going. I have-- Vault Hunter things to do."

Athena turned on her heel the instant the tool kit was safely in Janey's grasp. She took off, walking quickly, but not running. Her heart hammered. Her stomach felt like it was doing a dance. She half-expected to hear Janey's loud laughter echoing down the corridor behind her. Instead, she got an Echo message. 

"You're too sweet." 

Athena grinned. She was suddenly thankful her vault hunting team couldn't see her grinning like a moron.


	22. Cold Feet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I'd write this piece for soloe ages ago and never posted it. So sorry, friend!

Athena had only heard of weddings; she had never expected to be part of one. She let Janey handle the majority of the planning, only putting in suggestions when her fiancee asked for her input. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, the whole thing was embarrassing. Why did they need a flashy ceremony? Why did they have to go in front of a crowd to declare that they loved each other?

There was so much fussing. So many tiny details. Hair. Shoes. Clothes. Napkin holders. She didn’t know what to think. It was all so much. Why did they need a rehearsal dinner? What was there to rehearse? Wedding Echozines made no sense to her.

If she had a better grasp on the nature of beauty she might have been awed by the splendor of their venue. So few places on Pandora had clear land and fresh air. There were shades of lush green and cool streams; a rarity. The desert wastes were far off, barely a thought on crisp, cool Highland evening. 

Athena leaned heavily on the railing of the hotel. She had never been in a place so peaceful on Pandora. Wam Bam Island said it offered more serenity and relaxation than you could shake a buzzaxe at. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

The borrowed Crimson Raider uniform felt stiff. It was immaculately tailored– a feat in and of itself, but to her, it felt wrong. She missed her battle gear. She missed her scarf and her digistruct that housed Aspis. She felt naked, vulnerable.

She chewed her lower lip, toned forearms flush with the railing. A cool breeze rifled her hair, but it did not ease her worries. It was the day before her wedding. A rush of nerves had flooded her. A sense of fear that she was unfamiliar with. She had given so much for Janey– lost so much for her. She wasn’t allowed to kill; wasn’t supposed to take action.

Was the wedding worth it? Athena exhaled. The tension in her shoulders threatened to make a knot. If anyone had been on the end of her glare, they would have cowered in fear. She was a badass, an ex-assassin. A merc with an undying bloodlust. And yet, she was worried about a wedding. What if Janey wasn’t happy? What if someone objected? What if she did something stupid and died on a mission? What if… What if…?

A warm palm settled on her shoulder, jerking her back to reality. She had to fight back her conditioned response. Had to fight to keep herself from breaking the offender’s arm. Instead, she stiffened, ready to recoil. Slightly chapped lips brushed her cheek.

“Everythin’ okay, darl?”

Athena allowed herself to relax. Her shoulders were still stiff and taught, but not as bad as they had been. The fabric of her shirt didn’t feel like it was going to tear to shreds. 

“Uh, thinking. There’s been a lot on my mind.”

“You’re not gonna back out, are you?”

The note of concern in Janey’s voice hurt. It felt as though the junker had slapped her. She felt herself flinch; a response she had learned living around Janey. 

“No. It’s my mission now. I… Just was worried. And overwhelmed by this all.”

Janey’s arm snaked around her shoulder, her head settling on top of Athena’s.

“We just have to get through tomorrow. Maybe it’s a bit much.”

Athena studied the faint line of scars on her finacee’s forearm. She traced the soft muscle, made wiry by years of labor. Her palm closed around the widest point of Janey’s forearm.

“One more day.”

“Nervous, ‘Thena?”

“Yes. You?”

There was a pause and then a shaky laugh.

“Bloody Terrified.”

Athena let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. It wasn’t long before she started laughing. She expected Janey to walk off; they had been tense around each other for the last week. To her surprise, Janey started laughing too.

“I… didn’t expect that answer.” 

“As excitin’ as the thought of this has been, I have my worries.”

“Bandits?”

Athena squirmed when Janey’s fingers closed on the tip of her ear. The pinch didn’t exactly hurt, but it was certainly uncomfortable. 

“No, more like what barmy ideas your vaulter friends would come up with.”

Athena scratched the bridge of her nose, lifting a shoulder in a lazy shrug. 

“I can’t do anything about that. But… I think we’ll be okay.”

Janey let her chin settle on Athena’s shoulder instead. A snug grip seized Athena by the waist. 

“You think so?”

Athena squeezed her forearm. For the first time in over a week, she allowed herself a smile.

“Yeah.”


	23. Gravity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the Papa Roach song of the same name. Also posted on Tumblr under crimsonphoenixdown.

Bullets ricocheted off of Aspis, almost drowning out the words echoing in her head. Athena ducked behind her shield, raising her gun to squeeze off a few rounds at the bandits surrounding her. The clip clicked dry. Bloodlust boiled in her veins. She didn’t hear herself scream a challenge.

Xiphos glowed its dull blood red, the reflection tinting her eyes. Her blade tasted blood, rage blinding her. Bandit after bandit fell, charging in a suicidal rush. Janey’s voice still rung clear in her mind as much as she tried to drown it out.

“‘Thena, you can’t keep doin’ this. You’re not invincible. You’re scarin’ me with all this mission running. You’re going to get killed.”

“This is how I am, Janey. This is my life.”

“‘Thena, I love you. I don’t want to lose you.”

Maybe she wasn’t thinking clearly. Maybe she wasn’t thinking at all. The door slammed too hard behind her, rattling the frame. 

She slammed Xiphos home, running it through a marauder’s sternum. He gurgled on the end of her blade, too weak to even beg for mercy. All around her were corpses. Her armor was worse for the wear, her shield flickering in and out of existence around her. Blood dripped onto her glove, soaking the well worn grey leather. She hardly lifted her left arm as Aspis came back around. It returned to her digistruct in a flash of blue light. 

Athena surveyed the scrapyard around her. There wasn’t much of use there. Nothing that hadn’t already been picked over by the bandits. Scrapyards. She always went to them first. Every time she lost control, she still went to try to find ways to support them. More scrap for Janey, more ways for them to make a living, making ends meet just a little more. 

The rage seeped from her. Her knees wobbled, the adrenaline rush fading, hitting her as hard as a crash after a binge. She was beginning to feel the old aches and pains deep in her bones. The signs that she was starting to slow. That her reflexes weren’t as sharp as they had been. Her elbow felt stiff, her fingers still tense from hammering the trigger. Later on her index finger would twitch and spasm uncontrollably. Sitting among the corpses, she realized that the bloodlust wasn’t giving her a good enough kick any more. That it was slowly becoming a hassle more than an aid. 

Hell, she didn’t find herself wanting the kill or the glory as much as she had. Maybe just one more big job. One more risky venture. Something that would settle any debts they had, one that wouldn’t risk her being caught by Lilith and her vault hunters… After all, Janey had become her gravity. 

She’d have to wait a few more hours before coming home. She’d have to find worthy scrap and nab an Alpha skag. Anything to appease Janey. But she’d have to do it without injury; her hidden stash of Med Hypos was running low. They’d make it work. As they always did. Maybe that alone was a good enough reason to leave vault hunting behind.


End file.
